


Stacking the Odds

by Kephra



Category: Homestuck
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-24
Updated: 2012-06-24
Packaged: 2017-11-08 11:00:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,945
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/442494
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kephra/pseuds/Kephra
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eridan is sick of seeing Feferi associate with a certain low blooded troll. If she can't be convinced to stay away from him. Maybe Eridan can find a way to keep him away from her.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Stacking the Odds

**Author's Note:**

> HSO Round 1 Entry for Team Eridan ♠ Sollux, for the Gambling prompt. Artist is Drea over at applenose.tumblr.com.

"I really don't understand wwhat she sees in him." Eridan grumbled from his chair. He sat straddling it, facing towards the center of the common room, balefully watching the two trolls conversing on the hornpile. He paid no attention to the computer behind him, which well, let’s face it, wasn't exactly being overwhelmed with messages. It seemed like since the game started, he hadn't had a conversation with anyone unless he'd been the one to troll them. Such was the case with the unamused Vriska, sitting at the computer next to him. He continued, "I mean, he's so freakin loww on the hemospectrum, an a mutant freak to boot. An his obsession with twwos is just plain wweird."

"You're severely overestim8ting my interest in your love life Dualscar." She remarked flippantly as she continued typing.

"This has nothin to do wwith my love life. “ His computer chair creaked as he rested his chin on his arms. He’d tried talking to Feferi, bringing her to her senses, tried convincing her that Sollux was unstable and dangerous, but she’d basically ripped him up one fin and down the other, telling him to keep his cartilage nub out of her business. What did he have that made him so worthy of her time? But the sea prince couldn’t just ignore it. Fef had been his moirail for as long as he could remember, and even if she’d spurned his advances of a more flush nature, he still wanted what was best for her. If she wasn’t going to stay away from him, he’d have to find a way to keep Sollux away from her. Eridan resumed his previous thought. “ This has to do wwith that disgustin' excuse for a troll bein' up close an' friendly wwith Fef."  


"Suuuuuuuure it does,” she replied with a quark of her azure lips.

Eridan bristled, sitting up and staring indignantly at her. "Are you insinuatin there's somethin' black goin' on here?" His lip curled in disgust, even as his insides seemed to grow cold. That was not a thing that was happening... He was just completely concerned for the heiress. He swallowed. "Someone just needs to put his lowwblood carcas back in its place."

She responded with a detatched, "mmmhmmm..." The blueblood then sneered at her screen, pounding out an angry response on her keyboard as she added, "Good luck with that."

Eridan huffed, his ex-kismesis displaying no faith whatsoever in his abilities. "Yeah, wwell, I wwouldn't count me out just yet Vvris."  


"Eridan, I wouldn't 8et on you if you were the last hoof8east in the race with all four legs." She replied, her eyes never leaving her screen.  


"And since wwhen wwere you an expert in quadrants? I don't evven knoww wwhy I'm talkin' to you.” He huffed, sticking his chin into the air.  


"That makes two of us." The seadweller leveled a glare at his former rival. She was finally able to tear her attention away from the pale alien on her screen, looking at Eridan with the most uninterested look she could muster. "Are you done 8om8arding me with your lame pro8lems? I've got more important things to do."  


"Wwhatevver Vvris," he replied, tossing his head as he moved to stand. "Not like I wwant you anywwhere near my quadrants anywway. Wwe're so ovver." Vriska obviously didn't buy it, scoffing as she resumed work on her little pet project. He glanced back at her as he walked away. She always had a way of irritating him, of besting him. But she was always cheating… stacking the odds in her favor. And yet, maybe he could learn something from his campaigns with the spider queen.  


~-~-~-~

Eridan had formulated a plan. To be honest it certainly wasn’t foolproof, nor was he entirely sure it was going to work out in his favor at all, but at least he had something to go on. He’d wasted enough time allowing these social shenanigans to continue unchecked. He’d been observing the land dweller, in the least inconspicuous way possible, which, sadly for him, didn’t go unnoticed by his query. The psionic seemed to be even more on edge than usual, and Eridan was happy for it. Things might actually go his way, assuming the low-blood didn’t try to kill him on the spot, as opposed to accepting his proposition.

The gemini sat, leering at his monitor, a sneer pulling the corners of his mouth. Eridan could see it now, the differences in the other troll’s moods. He was bordering on livid, and the seadweller supposed he’d have to thank Karkat later, for it seemed the grey wall of text on the screen was only making Sollux more pissed off as he jammed his fingers onto the keyboard, sending his no doubt colorful replies back to their fearless leader.

Planting his feet firmly he puffed out his chest and took the plunge. “Hey Loww-blood, I got a bone to pick wwith you.” The bastard didn’t even flinch, didn’t move an inch as he was addressed. Eridan clenched his fists, no one ignored Eridan Ampora. He took a few steps forward, into the peripheral vision of the hacker. “Hey. Didn’t you hear me.”  


Eridan leaned forward, trying to push away the feeling of lead in his gut, while trying to keep a collected facade. This low-blood was going to listen to what he had to say, whether he liked it or not. He placed his ringed hand on the husktop, reflexively, Sollux barely had enough time to pull his hands out before the lid snapped shut.  


"What the fuck Eriidan? Ii'm not iinterested iin your hoofbea2t 2hiit. Take iit two 2omeone who care2, or better yet, why don't you ju2t go iinto your own liittle corner of thii2 for2aken meteor and leave the rest of u2 alone." The words spilled from the lisping wonder, his mismatched eyes boring into Eridan.

“I said wwe a problem here, one that’s gone on far too long as far as I’m concerned.” The highblood's amber eyes locked on his prey. “I don’t approve of the company you’vve been keepin’ as of late.”

Sollux’s replies came rapid-fire, practically cutting Eridan off. “No II 2uppo2e you don’t. But not everyone giive2 a flyiing fuck about your liittle hemo2pectrum bull2hit. 2orry to 2ay for you though, that it2 not any of your god damn bu2ine22.” As the psionic stood, sparks of alternating hues began dancing about his eyes.

“This is betwween you, and me,” the princeling rebuked.

Sollux scoffed. “Liike hell iit i2. Who FF a22ociiate2 with ii2 her decii2iion. 2he’2 not a wriiggler and you’re not even her moiiraiil anymore. Not that you diid anythiing for her whiile you were, a2 far a2 ii’ve heard.”

Eridan’s fin’s twitched. “Wwell obvviously she just doesn’t knoww wwhat’s best for herself!”

“II should just kiick your 2orry a22 you riight here, put u2 all out of our mii2ery!” They were both shouting at this point, daring each other to show the first sign of backing down, or even blinking.

“You wwanna go scum? FINE. I wwin, you keep your grubby land dwwellin hands awway from Fef!"

"II wiin, you leave the two of u2 the fuck alone!”

The sparks about the psionic increased in frequency, arching farther than they had before. The absolute venom in Sollux’s stare, caused a chill to run up Eridan’s spine. God, it was a thrill, and the prince could feel the goosebumps forming on his skin, but he pushed his luck, go big or go home.

“Oh yes, threaten me wwith your freakish light showw! Alwways relyin’ on your damn powwers to get you through shit! That’s your answwer to evverythin’ in that mutant addled think pan a yours isn’t it?!”

"II could take you out even wiithout my p2iioniic2!" Eridan's expression of fury, melted into a vicious grin.

"Deal." There was a moment of silence between them, where Eridan swore he could hear the little cogs in the land dwellers brain clicking into place. He had played him. He had played Sollux like a four stringed instrument, and he couldn't be happier. “The Observvatory. One hour. And don’t you DARE drag Fef into this.” He spun on his heel as he made to exit, his cape whirling about behind him, only pausing at the arch for a moment. “If you don’t showw, I’ll really make your life a livvin’ hell.” The sea prince then vanished from the doorway, leaving the other troll to process the exchange.

Sollux stood for a moment, just watching as the arrogant prick flounced out of the room. "That 2on of a biitch,” he mumbled to no one but himself. The psionics dancing about his face died out as the fire seemed to leave his body leaving only a smouldering fury in its wake. This also left him at the mercy of more self-depreciating thoughts, and the voices which edged their way back to the forefront of his think pan. Fuck everything. Seriously. He let himself get riled up and careless. He clenched and unclenched his hands at his sides, fighting the urge to pace. That asshole was planning this, and Sollux had two-stepped right into his trap. He let out an exasperated sigh and he sank into his computer chair, spinning it around to rest his elbows on the table. His slender fingers laced together, tenting over his closed husktop. What the hell was that guys’ problem anyway? It’s not like he and Feferi had been engaging in sloppy makeouts in the middle of the room for all to see. Hell, he didn’t even know if FF even liked him in that way, or if she just needed someone to talk to after having such an incompetent asshole for a moirail for so long. It wasn’t his place to tell him or Feferi what to do. _You’re 2uch a fuckiing iidiiot, Captor._ But if he didn’t show, he had no doubt that the fish douche would make everyone’s life on this miserable rock even more unbearable. His heterochromatic eyes drifted down to the husktop, thinking of aneurysms that Karkat was sure to have. Fuck. He was actually going to have to go through this wasn’t he? _Fiine a22hole. Let the game2 begiin._

~-~-~-~

The sound of sneakers heralded his opponent’s arrival. One set of footprints. Good, so he hadn’t dragged anyone else into this. As Sollux entered the large round room, he spotted Eridan off to the side, hefting that gaudy gun on his hip. The sea dweller grinned, and in a flourish, pulled the cape from his shoulders, draping it delicately over the chair beside him.

“Glad you decided to showw.” Eridan said as he looked over his weapon once more, then over the height of his opponent, from head to mismatched shoes; exuding an air of confidence, with a matching smug grin of his dagger-like teeth.

“Let’2 get thii2 moroniic dii2play over wiith,” There was a quiet clinking sound as Sollux’s hand moved behind him. Eridan’s gaze quickly shifted, trying to get a look at what the gemini was getting at. “You diidn’t thiink II only have one way two defend my2elf diid you?” The sea troll’s exterior cracked for just the barest fraction of a second as he considered he may not have the great advantage he imagined he did. They just stared at one another, willing the other to make the first move, the first mistake.  
The tension shattered as Eridan leveled his barrel on the land dweller, and fired a torrent of energy at the yellow blooded troll, but in that same moment, he too released his first attack, sending two throwing stars darting towards the violet prince. But they were ready, the adrenaline fueling their systems, charging them both with unexpected speed. Sollux had dodged right, but in doing so, his aim was offset, sending one of the projectiles skipping onto the ground just shy of Eridan, the other flying just between the aquarian’s legs.  


Eridan raised his gun once more taking aim at his rival, but in the last second he brought the weapon up in a defensive maneuver to block an oncoming blade. It was caught, stuck fast to the side of his rifle. Was that? He barely had a moment to register the blinking light on the throwing star. An indignant squeak leapt from the violet-haired troll’s throat, as he flung Ahab’s crosshairs from his grip, the sound of it skidding across the tiles was abruptly cut off by the sound of the small explosion which issued from the devise. He couldn’t be sure how much damage was done to the energy weapon, but as he dove towards it, it became evident that it was not readily operational. _Shit._ He grabbed it anyway, as his shoes tried find traction on the tiling, but his pause in momentum had given Sollux a perfect opportunity, and he unleashed two more blades in the sea dwellers direction. The grin on the psionic’s face was positively dripping with malice as both found purchase. One bit into the forearm of his opponent, the other, sliced into the aquarius symbol, cutting diagonally across the prince’s chest as he attempted to scurry out of his line of sight.

Now behind one of the random devices scattered throughout the room, it whirred quietly behind Eridan as he looked down at the gash in his shirt, and the bit of royal blood slipping from the shallow wound, to be lost in the fibers of the black material. The high-blood sneered at his shredded emblem, his birthright. Dualscar would not let this mutant abomination best him. He wanted to destroy Captor, leave him a broken mess, knock those snaggle-teeth from his obnoxious face. Brandishing his fists, he rounded the corner, ducking under another projectile, before springing back with an uppercut to Sollux’s jaw.

He staggered back a few steps, grabbing blindly at the sea dweller, finding his fists clenching in that ridiculous scarf. He tugged at the ends of it, a blue noose for this pompous nookwipe. Eridan’s pupils contracted, focusing on the object of his seething hatred, as one of his hands tugged at the scarf, trying to ease the pressure on his windpipe, while the other tugged at the short mop of Sollux’s hair. When this didn’t deter the gemini, Eridan brought his knee up, slamming it into the other trolls groin.  


With a grunt, Sollux released the scarf, the material slipping through his fingers as his assailant stumbled backwards, grabbing at his throat, and flinging the offending garment onto the floor. With a sneer, Eridan charged the land dweller, knocking the both of them onto the ground, tumbling into a mass of entangled limbs. But he soon regained control as he maneuvered until he was straddling his chest, pinning the lanky troll to the tiling. He saw red then, in his fury, his fist connecting with the sharp features of Sollux’s face, the dichromatic glasses falling to the floor. He felt the rings adorning his regal fingers biting into the grey flesh of the troll he hated so much. For a moment, he could think of nothing; nothing but the burning rancor which roiled in his gut. He punched again, with his other fist, colliding once more with the ashen canvas, painting it with more of that detestable yellow hue. The rhythm of his assault echoed in his mind. Left fist, right fist, again and again. The sea dweller paid no mind to the other’s flailing limbs when they had begun this little encounter, clawing and punching at him in return, leaving more rips and tears in his shirt, but now they had fallen to a more defensive role, trying to assuage the onslaught of jabs. 

A flickering light then enveloped Eridan’s senses, as a blast from the psionic sent the aquatic troll flying. In the dazed moment afterwards, he could barely register the bands of light now weaving their way around his wrists, and the other troll now kneeling over him. The rules had been broken, and with that, Eridan's bloodied mouth broke into a grin. All bets were off. Sollux's psionics had always given him the upper hand, but without them? Without them, he was no match for the sea dweller. 

  


“Fuck you Ampora.” Sollux spat at his captured audience, as his dark golden blood dripped onto the ripped insignia of the sea troll. He then clenched his fists in that tattered fabric, and wrenched the prince to him, crushing their bloody mouths together in a moment of the darkest pitch. 

The tendrils of light which had pinned him, dissipated in that moment, leaving Eridan’s nails to find their way into Sollux’s back; the taste of blood and the heat between them, the only thoughts in his mind. But the moment was all too short. The psionic broke the kiss, reared back, and delivered a fierce headbutt to the prince, causing Eridan to loose his hands from the mage’s shirt, sending him back to the tile.

Sollux then rose to his feet, side stepping the dazed Eridan, grabbing his glasses from the floor, and sliding them onto his possibly broken nose with a wince. The high-blood rolled over, grasping his forehead to see what his opponent was up to. But Sollux seemed to be completely checked out, his monochrome shoes padding towards the exit.  


"This isn't ovver Captor." He panted, his previously-perfect hair, now stuck to his forehead with sweat and blood. Sollux half turned back to the other troll from the doorway, the faintest traces of a smile could not be hidden on the psionic’s lips as the panel slid closed behind him. Oh no. It was just beginning.


End file.
